House panel postpones hearing so VP Duterte could heed NBI subpoena

Vice President Sara Duterte attends House probe into OVP, DepEd’s confidential funds in this file photo taken on Nov. 25, 2024. INQUIRER.net / NOY MORCOSO

MANILA, Philippines — The House panel probing Vice President Sara Duterte postponed its scheduled hearing on Friday so the vice president could answer the subpoena issued by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) which required her presence on the same day.

Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua, chairperson of the House committee on good government and public accountability, announced this move in a press briefing on Thursday.

Chua said this decision was reached following calls of lawmakers to postpone the Nov. 29 hearing.

“Many House members called me about this issue which is  why we earlier decided to postpone the committee hearing for tomorrow to pave the way for the NBI investigation so that we could no longer be used as an excuse,” Chua said in Filipino.

(Many House members called me about this issue which is  why we earlier decided to postpone the committee hearing for tomorrow to pave the way for the NBI investigation so that we could no longer be used as an excuse.)

“We believe that this issue with NBI is very important and it concerns national security,” he added in Filipino

NBI on Tuesday summoned Duterte for revealing that she had already talked to a person whom she supposedly instructed to kill Marcos, his wife First Lady Liza, and cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez, in the event that she is killed.

On Wednesday, Duterte said she has already received the subpoena but asked the NBI to reschedule her appearance before the agency in favor of attending the House probe.

READ: Sara Duterte accuses gov’t of using ‘Arnie Teves playbook’ against her

The House hearing of the panel probing the alleged irregularities of P612.5 million confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education during her tenure as education secretary.